Veterans can access their medical info through Apple's Health Records

Apple is expanding its Health Records feature in iOS to cover one of the larger groups in the US: namely, veterans. The company is partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs to make servicemen and women's medical info available in one place on their iPhones, including known conditions, prescriptions and procedures. It's the record-sharing system "of its kind" at Veterans Affairs, Apple said.

Access to veteran data will be available "soon," Apple noted, although it didn't say if that would be tied to an iOS update.

Support for veterans is coming soon after Apple teamed up with Aetna on a health tracking app, and reflects a larger strategy at the tech giant. It wants to become an indispensable part of people's health care, whether it's providing medical data or warning of heart conditions, and that could give you a reason to keep using its devices when you'd otherwise be tempted to switch. It's not just an altruistic gesture, then, although it's still likely to be valuable for iPhone-toting veterans who want a better understanding of their wellbeing.